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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — of the year
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — to grow
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — a song
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — a series
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com